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the conception of natural causality for the 

 conception of miracle and divinity, on the 

 very rapid development and on the experi- 

 mental foundation of contemporary socialism. 



Democratic socialism does not view 

 " Catholic socialism " with an evil eye, because 

 it has nothing to fear from it. 



Catholic socialism, in fact, contributes to 

 the propaganda of socialist ideas, notably in 

 the rural districts, where faith and religious 

 observance have still much life in them, and 

 it is not Catholic socialism that will gather 

 the palm of victory ad majorem Dei gloriam. 

 As I have shown, there is an increasing 

 antagonism between science and religion, and 

 the socialist varnish will not be able to pre- 

 serve Catholicism. " Terrestrial " socialism, 

 besides, possesses a much greater power of 

 attraction. 



When peasants are familiarised with the 

 views of Catholic socialism, it will be very 

 easy for democratic socialism to collect them 

 under its own flag. They will, moreover, 

 themselves effect their own conversion. 



Socialism finds itself in an analogous 

 position towards republicanism. Just as 

 atheism is a private matter that concerns the 

 individual conscience, so the republic is a 

 private affair that interests portions of the 

 bourgeoisie. Certainly when socialism is 

 ready to triumph, atheism will have made 

 immense progress, and the republic will have 

 been established in many lands which to-day 

 submit to a monarchical regime. But it is 



